Baby holding and walking device.



PATBNTED JUNE 19, 1906.

P. T. BITTER.

BABY HOLDING AND WALKING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEBT 1.

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I No. 823,812. PATBNTED JUNE 19, 19 06. I P. T. RITTBR.

BABY HOLDING AN-D WALKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 10,.1806.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PHILIP TI R ITTER, joF, sr.v Louis, MISSOURI,

' B ABSJY HOLDI NG "AND 'WALKING, DEVICE.

' fSpeeifieation of Letters Patent.

mated June 19, 1906.

' App1i ,1;io fi1 d'AuguSt 10.1905. Serial No. 273,587.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP T. RITTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in'the State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Baby Holding and Walking Devices,'of which the following a is a specification.

' the use of the device and for holding My inventionrelates toIa device for enablinga baby to walk without the aid of a nurse, and has for its object to provide adjustable means for holding the child in an upright position while learning to walk fly t e child in a sitting posture when not desired to walk. I

The invention, consists in features of novelty, as hereinafter described and claimed,

reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, whlgreon -'1 f d igure 1 1s a top p ano my improve baby holding and walking device, omitting the removable seats and table-forming parts of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical sectional elevation thereof on line 2 2 in Fig. 1 Fig. 3, a view corresponding to Fig. 1, broken away, showing another position of the adjustable holders seen therein; Fig. 4, a horizontal section through the framework of thejdevice, broken away, showing one of the removable seats forming part of my invention applied thereto; Fig. 5, a top plan of'the device, broken away, omitting the adjustable holders seen in Fig. 1 and showing a removable seat and table forming parts of my invention substituted therefor Fig.- 6, a top' plan, to enlarged scale, of one of the adjustable holders fixed to the framework of the device as seen in Fig. 1; Fig. 7, a sectional side elevation thereof on line 7 7 in Fig. 6, and Fig. 8 an outer end View of the holder as seen from the left of Fig. 7.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures. 45

circular. top ring 1, of wood or other suitable material, supported at a suitable distance from the floor on legs 2, which are preferably curved (or inclined) outward beyond the top ring 1 and provided at the bottom with suitable casters 3.

Surrounding and fixed to the outsides of the legs 2 at a suitable distance from the top ring is a guard-ring 4, which is concentric with and diametrically larger than the top rlng 1, so that if on moving along the floor the framework a collides with a stationary 6o object the top ring 1 is prevented from striking the object by the guard-ring 4.

Around the ,top ring 1, transversely thereto and at opposite parts thereof,-respectively, is a clamp b, which is preferably made in two parts hinged at one side to each other and adapted to beclosed together at the opposite side by a screw and nut 5, whereby the clamp b is firmly held to the top ring 1, the interior of the clamp I) being circular, as shown.

Projecting downward from the clamp b beneath the ring 1 is a lug 6, through which is adapted toslide longitudinally a rod 0, the outer part of the lug 6 at and beyond the opening for the rod 0 being split and its split portions closed by a screw and nut 5,where by the rod 0 is firmly gripped or secured at iany desired part of its length within the u 6. it one end of the rod 0 is formed (or fixed) a ball 7, which fits in a socket 8, made in halves and radially adjustable about the ball 7, the upper half of the socket 8 having a shank 9, which is formed at its outer end with lateral flanges 9, and the lower half of the socket 8 having ashank 10, corresponding to and bearing against the shank 9 to which it is fixed in the closed and adjusted position of the socket 8 on the ball 7 by a screw and nut 11. fl I o The top ring 1 of the framework a is preferably circular in cross-section, flattened on its under side, and between this flat surface and the inside circular surface of each clamp b is placed a segmental liner or filler 12, hav- 5 half of each socket 8 is fixed a block or crutch-piece d, having its outer face and to 1o 5 v respeotlvely, concave, the two opposite bloc s d being adapted to partially surround and to support the body at and beneath the armpits of a child placed in an upright standin position on the floor between the blocks 5 and within the framework 0, whereby the child is upheld or supported without strain on the feet and legs, when on taking hold of the ring 1 in front and pushing the device along the floor the child is enabled to walk with ease and safety.

By the adjustable features of the ball-andsocket joints between the blocks d and rods 0, combined with the slidability of the latter through the clamps b, it is evident that the blocks 01 (assuming them to be initially in the position seen in Figs. 1 and 2) can be moved closer together or farther apart and higher or lower, according to the size of the child, and that also by the adjustability of the clamps 1) around the top ring 1 of the framework (1 they can be moved into any desired position along the same-as, for instance, to that shown in Fig. 4 3, where the clamps b are brought nearer to the front or that part of the rlng 1 held by the child in propelling the deviceand the blocks (1 correspondingly adjusted to enable a smaller child to be supported than would be the case with the parts located as in Fig. 1,

Around the blocks (1 and the child, when in place between them, may be passed a strap 13 to prevent the child wriggling therefrom andhfalling, or the strap 13 may be dispensed wit When not used for su porting and aiding the child to walk, the 0 amps b, rods 0, and blocks (1 are removed from the framework (1 and a seat 0, Fig. 4, substituted for enabling the child to be placed in a sitting posture within the framework a. The seat 6 consists of a circular, preferably metal, ring 14:, having a web or filling 15 of canvas or other suit able material suitably shaped at one side to form an opening 15 therethrough for the legs of the child and having a central opening 16 for sanitary purposes, the ring 14 being placed over and held by hooks 17, which are fixed to the insides of the legs 2 of the framework a, and pass through eyelets 18 in the seat 6, or in lieu of the seat 6 a seat 0, Fig. 5, may be used, in which the central opening 16 is omitted and a table f, preferably combined with the seat a, the table f being removably held to the top ring 1 by hooks 19 or in any other suitable manner.

By my invention a child is taught to walk automatically and naturally or held in a sitting posture within the protecting framework of the device without the constant and laborious surveillance of the parent or nurse.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, the combination with a suitable framework adapted to travel along a floor, of two opposite clamps removably fixed to, and ad ustable along the said framework, a rod removably fixed to, and slidable longitudinally through each of the said clamps, and a block coupled to one end of the said rod and adjustable radially thereto, the said blocks being adapted to partially surround and to support a child in a standing position on the floor between the said blocks and within the said framework, substantially as described.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a suitable framework adapted to travel along a floor, of two opposite clamps removably fixed to, and adjustable along the said framework, and having respectively a lug, a rod removably fixed in, and slidable longitudinally through the said lug, a ball on one end of the rod, a socket engaged by the said ball and radially adjustable thereto, means for fixing the socket in its adjusted positions respectively, to the said ball, a shank on the socket, and a block fixed to the shank, the said blocks being adapted to partially surround and to support a child in a standing position on the floor between the said blocks and within the said framework, substantially as described.

PHILIP T. RITTER Witnesses:

MARY D. WHrrcoMB, EDWARD W. FURRELL. 

